In Mah Belleh!: Adventures in Wine

Week 4: I kinda sorta forgot to weigh myself at the gym yesterday (oops!)...If I can remember today I'll come back and edit...

Net Lbs. lost: I dunno...I could say 10 just to impress you all, but I'll take the honest route.

Workouts this week: 4 (tis about average)

Cheez-it bags eaten: 1 (I had a moment of weakness, sue me)

After thinking back, I actually did better workout-wise than I thought I did! I took off Tuesday and Wednesday, but made up for it by some major bad-assery working out over the weekend.

Exercise tip of the week: Make sure to balance out strength training and flexibility with cardio. I can do all the crunches in the world and have the best six pack somwhere in there, but unless I do my cardio and work on the stuffings around them. I will never see them! Also don't forget to stretch, losing flexibility is bad...m'kay?

Hoping for some good results as I did pretty well on diet this week. I typically use Saturday as a reward day for following my menu plan all week. I allow myself to have the snacks and foods I avoid during the week (in moderation of course). Well the funny thing is that this Saturday, I found myself not craving the bad stuff! So strange I know! I ended up with a Subway sannich and a Papa Murphy's veggie Delite pizza (which is wondermous by the way).

Sunday: Baked parmasan crusted chicken, sweet potato rounds and spinach salad.

Tasty and quick for a weekday meal. Just lightly breaded chicken breasts in breadcrumbs and parmasan then baked in the oven. Sweet potato rounds oven baked too with olive oil, lemon pepper and a wee bit of sea salt.

Monday: You know me...leftovers.

Tuesday: Baked salmon in a little lemon garlic butter, with sauteed asparagus

Pretty self explanatory no?

Wednesday: I raided bestie's fridge. Enchiladas...yummmmm

Thursday: And my highlight recipe of the week! Skillet Tuna Noodle Casserole

Now, this was my first excursion cooking with wine and we'll just say I won't be surprise to see this end up in a sitcom someday. Shall we play out events as they happened complete with illustrations?(Amy ~linky linky~ can attest to this story's validity. She's a wine connoseur and I ask her questions via text)

When I realized I needed wine for this recipe I decided to finally use a bottle of Chardonnay I got from a client a couple years back as a Christmas gift. I'm all happy go lucky and getting my stuff together, ready for this to go all smoothly. I start the water for the boiling of the noodles and get my bottle of wine out.

Damn....I don't drink wine really and realized I didn't have a corkscrew for said bottle...

Nothing in there is a corkscrew right?

So what's a girl to do? Go to the store and hope they carry corkscrews that you are sorely in need of!

Hi, Store! (Just for visual's sake..I am in my pajamas for this trip)

As I'm perusing the aisles, I have an epiphany. Those bottles of wine were a gift basket and in that gift basket also came this small red twisty thing that is currently sitting right next to my wine rack (more decorative than anything else) at home!

Just short of throwing a small temper tantrum right in the middle of the Huggies, I grabbed some plastic wrap (which I needed anyway) turned around and marched out of the store. (Oh, I did pay first! No worries there!)

I get home and sure enough...

This thingy here? It's a corkscrew! (albeit a pretty weak one)

So ya know, I don't really drink wine. And have never opened up one of these babies by myself before! This should get interesting...In my head I'm thinking "Thank God I'm alone now." I get the corkscrew into the bottle easy peasy. Now what?

I super uberly-cautiously-controlley tug on the corkscrew repeatedly. No budge. Amy: "Pull hard!" Me: "I don't want to get it all over me!" Amy: "It's not pressurized like champagne." Still not budging. I'm cursing this idea the whole time. And saying words that are not for polite company. Next thing I know I'm on the floor of my kitchen (you can kinda see it in the picture above!) with the wine bottle between my legs like some kind of sitcom. Me: "I'm on the damn floor!" After a final struggle...

Victory!!!!

~takes a swig straight out of the bottle~

Well all the rest ended up going well and here is the finished result!

It actually turned out even better than I expected! Try it for a healthier version of tuna noodle casserole! (I'm so proud of this bitch!)

Let me know what you think or what you've tried recently that you would recommend!

In Mah Belleh!: The Next Generation

Week 3: Approx 158...bah! (The scale may lie but now I feel obligated to use it since the weight loss would be the same...)

Net Lbs. lost: 0

Workouts this week: 4

Cheez-it bags eaten: 0 (YAY!)


Well...was not extremely happy to see the big fat no change in weight, but oh well at least I didn't gain. And it's not necessarily about the weight for me. Sure I'd like to be a little bit lighter, but the goal is health and fit. I think I'm getting there too! Since I started this little journey to date, I have probably lost a total of 30-40 lbs. (give or take the yoyo-ing)


I managed to get a picture of myself after a kickboxing night. I warn you it's quite dark because...well...it was dark and not of the best quality being a distance camera phone shot, but it's something to go off of. I preface this by saying I never would have posted a pic like this in the past, but the more I work at it, the happier I'm becoming with my belleh-section. I can't believe I'm even debating getting my first bikini ever this summer! But I digress...here we go ~big fearful inhale~

(Please ignore the stack of laundry waiting to be hung up on my dressing table...)


There you go, just like ripping off a band-aid right? I'll try to get a few more here and there for comparison's sake.


Workout wise, was average for me this week. Did my classes and work out extracurricularly too. Didn't get as many weight training sessions in this week, but planning to kick it in on the weights next week when I will miss my Wednesday class for pseudo-nephew sitting. (Which will probably be a workout all it's own)


The diet is where my excuses start coming out to play! My wonderful daddy's birthday was last Thursday so over the weekend he and my wonderful mommy came to celebrate with me. We ate some fabulous but totally unhealthy-for-you BBQ. I told him this was his present because he can never tell me what he wants for his birthday.  There was also some of this:

 (Yes, yes, that is a pink birthday cake that says "Happy Birthday, Dad". I got my dad a pink birthday cake. It was the only one in that smaller size that was white cake and I figured the taste would be more important than the color. I figured maybe that's why they used the blue at the store...try and butch it up a bit? He loved it...real men love pink!)


Sunday: Fat-tastic BBQ with the folks. 


Monday: Leftovers of above mentioned BBQ


Tuesday: Some of my fave enchiladas. Cooked chicken, monterey jack cheese, green chilies, a bit of sour cream rolled and baked in tortillas. With a green tomatillo green chili sauce. For myself, makes about 6-8 enchiladas.

Linky! 

Chicken Enchiladas

In my own healthitizing I used the lightest sour cream I could find and 98% fat free tortillas. Just to save time, instead of cooking the chicken myself, I used pre-grilled strips from the grocery. Could probably save some potential calories by cooking the chicken yourself. Again, not necessarily a super diet healthy recipe but still yummy!

(Sorry the enchiladas didn't make it to the camera phone, but here's a pic of the topping sauce! ~slow applause~)


Wednesday: Leftovas! (Hey, I'm a single girl and recipes rarely make for just one. Leftovers are my life pretty much.)


Thursday: More enchilada goodness!


Friday: Today planning on some baked salmon with lemon and tiny bit of butter paired with asparagus.


Hoping for some better results next week to share with you. Healthifying is not a sprint, it's a marathon...then another marathon after that in my case. 


Shout out with your own tips and tricks!

In Mah Belleh! : Part Deux

Week 2: Approx 158ish ~whispers~ The scale lies!

Net Lbs. lost: -4ish

Workouts this week: 6!! (HA!)

Cheez-it bags eaten: 2 (In my defense they were white cheddar and it is a cardinal sin to resist white cheddar)

So…who’s a bad little blogger chick wannabe? ~points thumbs~ This girl! I told you last week I would be offering up some pics of myself as I progress as sacrifice to the blogging gods, but that just didn’t seem to happen. My apologies and will try to do better next.

This week I was able to log a heapload of gym time. I had a  bug up my craw last Saturday and for some crazy unexplainable reason decided to actually go on a Saturday morning (and work hard!) Logged in 4.3 miles on the elliptical, not to mention a heavy duty weight workout! And aside from my regular kickboxing class on Monday and Wednesday, I’ve been teaming up with my bestie on certain days and we go and hold each other accountable. I’ll just say, the buddy system works! We’ve both been losing.

Exercise word of advice for the week? Strength training! (Well, that’s two words but we’re still going to run with it). Including strength training into your workout will not only help to tone up those saggy and soggy areas (ie: the flags on my underarms…) but the added muscle tissue also help you burn more calories not only while working out but even at rest! Equipment is not necessary, a few pushups here or leg squats and using your own body weight as resistance is a-OK. Common misconception is that it’ll make you bulk up. Total myth! A regular weight training regimen is not going to result in you looking like some half man half woman human hybrid, ladies! Don’t be afraid to partake!

As for foodish? You can’t see me right now, but inside I’m doing a super happy disco dance at myself for keeping up with the menu planning for the 3^rd week in a row! All I have to say is thank God for Pinterest for giving me a fount of pretty much endless new ideas for meals. That was always the hardest part for me.

Sunday: Beef Stew: My own concoction! (with a little help from McCormick seasoning packet) No sides because well….beef stew is kind of a one pot meal, duh!

Monday: I am a small, quivering mass after kickboxing so leftovers it was!

Tuesday: Something new! I’m trying to make new best friends with my crockpot and happened to find a recipe on of all things…Pinterest(!) for sesame chicken. So after defrosting the chickie overnight, I whipped up my little dressing of low sodium soy, brown sugar, ground ginger, garlic powder, and ketchup and let it go all day…Voila!

It was falling apart y’all! (I think I may have just channeled Paula Deen) Served that with some roasted broccoli seasoned with just a hint of lemon pepper and sea salt. (Rice would be a good addition, but I was just too lazy to make it) I got the recipe off of Pinterest but here's the follow through link if you're interested in making this yourself!

Crockpot Sesame Chicken

Wednesday: Another quivering mass day so…leftovers!

Thursday: Another new recipe! Cheesy chicken broccoli bake! Voila!

Super easy (Aside: Even though by neglecting to defrost my chicken and broccoli ahead of time I made it a little harder than it should have been, right Amy?) and I tried to healthitize it up a bit more by using lower fat Velveeta. Maybe a little fattier and a little saltier than a girl trying to lose weight should think about going, but when you’re in the mood for comfort food this is very yum! For the full recipe from Kraft, click the link below!

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Bake

Friday(!): Well…today is Friday! Based on the look of that pan above it’s safe to say I did not eat all of that delicious chicken broccoli bake so that will be dinner tonight (and tomorrow and maybe the next day)

Oh the joys of cooking for one! If you’ve got anything good for me to try, let me know! Until next time, this is Sara with ~Scottish accent~ In Mah Belleh! (10 cool points to all who know where this came from)

Progress Report (AKA: In Mah Belleh!): Week 1

Yesterday, my good buddy Amy over at Buffalo Roam (Go see her! She misses you!) suggested that I start a segment where I highlight new healthy recipes I’ve been trying with my newborn healthy lifestyle. In a moment of Bridget Jones-like genius I’ve decided to go that extra mile and do progress reports (hopefully each week) of my…well…progress.

                                 ~stands awkwardly~                                

So here we go…

Week 1: Approx 160 lbs. (according to the scale at the gym. Which I say lies…)

Net Lbs. lost: -2

Workouts this week: 4

Cheez-it bags eaten: ~mumbles~ 2

This week, c’est difficile. Babysitting for my best friend and impromptu girls’ night took the place of my regularly scheduled kickboxing class and Tuesday night weight routine. While chasing a most adorable 7 year old boy truly constitutes exercise. I didn’t get nearly the workouts in that I have been. Even going tonight, the rest of my body says yes but my head says “Skiiiipppp it!” The battle is ongoing and we have yet to know the victor.

Meal-wise we are in the “Could’ve been worse but not great or creative” range.

Sunday: Spaghetti and meat sauce with spinach side salad. Pretty normal and not that creative. Moving on!

Monday: Raided bestie’s fridge for something resembling healthy that she said was in there, turns out I ended up eating her husband’s fried rice. Oops!

Tuesday: Girls night! Papa Murphy’s makes a meeeaaannn Veggie Delite pizza. I tell you that. I kinda want one now just thinking about it. ~salivates a bit~

Wednesday: Well, kinda copped out by just doing tuna salad sammich. Creativity points to me though for cutting up some sweet potato rounds and lightly seasoning them with olive oil, lemon pepper, and sea salt and baking them in the oven. Rather tasty.

Thursday: Another semi-cop out day. Frozen chicken teriyaki breast with the creativity points again going to the side dish. Roasted cabbage quarters seasoned with olive oil and spices. (Psst…it tastes even better wrapped in bacon, but I didn’t have any nor did I need it probably)

Friday: Hmmm yet to be decided. Still have a piece of chicken teriyaki however also have half a sub sammich leftover from lunch. I forsee me eating them both at some point tonight…~le sigh~

Saturdays have been reserved for splurges and treats (not too extreme) and we start all over again with another meal plan this weekend! I’m hoping to delve a little deeper into recipes too when I get more creative, this week was just mostly for ease and lack of time.

So there you have it. My own personal health confessional. Hoping that as we go the numbers start getting even better. Will try to get some pics of (gulp) me, as we go too. It’s just hard to take picksures of myself! Expect some cheesy phone/mirror shots (common of teenage girls) minus the stupid lip pucker and booty tooching. (Eeh, maybe if you’re good I’ll give you one someday)

If you’ve got any great ideas about recipes and whatnot, give a shoutout!

OM NOM NOM!!!!

I want cheesy potatoes…

In a bad way…

With bacon…

This is what’s running through my head like a mantra this morning thanks to my newly revised struggle resolution to achieve this…

(Thank you, Pinterest Home Page, for always posting such similar images when I’m in the middle of a food pinning binge. The guilt feels nice.)

Maybe it’s not so much a resolution as it is a continuous cycle that started back when gas cost $1.09 a gallon, O.J. was acquitted, and Montell Jordan showed us how we do it. Needless to say it’s been a constant battle with more physical and emotional ups and downs than an episode of the Bachelor (well, maybe a tie)

It always seems to ramp up this time every year though with the start of a new year and new goals (usually after a particularly brutal holiday season). Fresh year, fresh start, fresh fruits! It all jives, right?

I know I will likely never have the body as seen above and it’s truly more about being healthy than being thin. It doesn’t make it any easier to rid myself of that ideal image. Just chalk it up to a form of motivation and work with it right?

One of the hardest obstacles I find though is getting past that initial New Year’s hungriness (and as a direct result, crankiness). Right now I find myself in that place where I just want to eat everything in sight. These are the times that even the weeks old English muffin sitting in my fridge covered in some sort of green fuzzy frosting, starts to look the slightest bit appetizing. Each time I keep telling myself that if I just control myself, eat only good and healthy snacks, then my stomach will eventually shrink to a decent normal size after heavy holiday meal abuse. I’m waiting, stummy!

(Promise me one thing though. If I ever become one of those women who eats half a pea and says she’s full, please feel free to shove a steak sandwich down my throat.)

The process has been a long time going, but it has worked for me. For someone who has always battled with her genetics, I’m at a healthier weight than I’ve ever been before. I’m more active now than I ever was back in school. It’s also helped me in turn to become more confident and happy in myself. I know it’s not all about what’s on the outside, but when you’re not entirely happy with what’s on the outside it’s harder for that inside confidence to shine. I'm not quite where I want to be yet, but it's getting closer and closer by the decade!!

In the meantime, while I wait, I will sit here and chug my water like a fiend. I will walk to the fridge multiple times in an evening and open it just to make sure it’s all still there. I will exercise a ridiculous amount and hope the burnout holds off as long as it can. I will allow myself some rewards every now and then for my good behavior, lest I lose self-control entirely some lonely weekend night and eat a whole pizza myself (I've never done this, ever....~shifty eyes~).

And I will dream of this:

~in my mind~ It's so worth it, it's so worth it.........

Sassy and Corny... Just Like Me!

In honor of my new goal of reducing salt and just plain cooking more in general, I give you my very first recipe recommendation! Please hold your applause...

While perusing Kraft.com I found the following recipe:

Sassy Potato Corn Chowder (Courtesy of KraftRecipes.com)

What You Need
4 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon, chopped  

1 can  (14 oz.) fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth  

1-1/4 lb. baking potatoes (about 3), peeled, cubed  

1 pkg.  (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed, drained  

2 stalks celery, sliced  

1/2 cup  chopped onions  

1/2 cup MIRACLE WHIP Light Dressing  

2 Tbsp.  flour  

2 cups milk 

 Make It

COOK bacon in large saucepan until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings from pan.

ADD broth and vegetables to saucepan. Bring to boil; simmer on low heat 15 min. or until potatoes are tender.

MIX dressing and flour in medium bowl. Stir in milk. Add to potato mixture with bacon; cook 3 to 5 min. or until slightly thickened and heated through, stirring constantly.

 This seems tasty so let's give 'er a go!

Step 1: Collect your ingredients! (Ain't they pretty?)

Step 2: Start frying up your bacon. Have a moment of panic as you realize you didn't plan out your prep work and have not yet thawed your corn, diced your potatoes or sliced up your celery...take a moment to thank God for microwaves with defrost functions.

Step 3: I playfully call this step "Darn it, I miss!" You spend some time cleaning up the mess you made of your kitchen floor while peeling your potatoes in haste. You then remember your poor neglected bacon and take it off the burner after it has been thoroughly petrified as per below:

Step 4:  Enjoy the facial as you combine your veggies and broths. (This takes time...lots of time it felt like...)

Step 5: Make creamy!

Step 6:  Let thicken up a bit and enjoy! (I would have preferred a more aesthetically pleasing bowl for this picture, but unfortunately I've not run my dishwasher yet)

While I did find this soup tasty I did find it lacking a bit in flavor and seasoning. You won't get any judgies from me for adding a little extra something whether it be extra salt, cheese, or whatever floats your boat. The bacon adds a little pizazz and I feel this dish might benefit even more by sitting a few hours, or overnight. I had also used skim milk for the recipe as it was all I had. Using whole or even 2% milk might benefit as well but I'll let you be the judge of that. 

Pretty sure I'd try this again sometime. It's a hearty, comforting chowder that stays with you. 

Bon Appetit!

The Epic Battle

This...

is ka-rot.

Ka-rot and I are trying out a new thing after my recent breakup with snack bad boy, Cheez-its.

Ka-rot is nice, Ka-rot is orange (just like Cheez-its), Ka-rot treats me well (unlike Cheez-its). In theory Ka-rot is perfect!

The only problem is that Ka-rot is like the very nice, but very dull boyfriend. He is the personal accountant to Cheez-its's super spy. It excites you less. With Cheez-its, good times were very good (handprints on the rear when cheez laden hands are wiped on back pockets.) and the bad times were very bad (that third cellulite divot from the right on previously referenced rear)

Ka-rot is really trying hard to be a good substitute for naughty snack-affair but the truth of the matter is.

We're both still adjusting to the switch...

Cheez-its is not giving up without a fight either. Even now, it's tempting me with cheezy crunchiness and calories! Even more attractive than when we were still together... ~le sigh~I just snag another ka-rot and try to put the temptation out of my mind. It's only the first day! I refused to be quite that weak.

It's about time to find a snack that helps me to become that person I want to be without guilt, judgement and self-ridicule. Ka-rot is that. Ka-rot is my Superman snack!

Then why is it that I can't stop thinking about Lex Luther...

The Joy of Healthy Cooking Episode 1

Salad win!

But....

Salad FAIL!

I needs to learn moderation when on the subject of extras...oh well.

Duped!!!

THESE....

ARE CHEERIOS!

Yeah I know, that statement is probably not making a lot of sense to you right now, but nice discount grocery store sold me this generic version of Honey Nut Cheerios and dammed if they don't taste just the exact same as you get in the General Mills box **emphasis** but CHEAPER!

I know a lot of you are probably rolling your eyes and thinking "Duh!", but for years I was duped by the pretty colors, the goofily loveable characters and thinking the taste would be different. Yeah, now I know this little secret, I'll never buy the brand name again! Stupid little bee and all his powers of persuasion...I've got my eye on that crafty little leprechaun too...

Food Snob

I. Hate. Grocery. Shopping.

But I do love to eat and according to my receipts I spend an inordinate amount of money on food every month (Which is probably why every morning my pants and I enter into fierce battle for dominance around the area of my ass) Grocery shopping though? Not on my list of Top 5 favorite activities...

Which is why after seeing the extremely bare contents of my cupboards I decided it was time to brave the crowds and go out and gets something more than a box of chocolate pudding and some dry whole grain pasta (Now, that would be quite a culinary adventure...maybe for another blog.)

I donned my headphones and put on a little Muse for energy, Pat Benatar, for the hell of it, and Dirty Dancing, which was a mistake. Apparently breaking out into spontaneous dance between the lemon-scented Pledge and the Swiffer Sweeper is considered mentally unhealthy.

The grocery store vaguely resembles something out of a Mad Max movie with carts zipping around each other while other manage to serve as frustrating roadblocks. I tend to be more the Mad Max. Rule of thumb, do NOT get in my way or I might be inclined to ram you out of it.

How is it that when you go to the store, you always end up getting more than what was on your list, never fail? I had a list, albeit a hefty one and did get everything on it but when all was said and done I additionally ended up with a whole rotisserie chicken, a bag of minestrone soup (makes a half gallon, I live alone...you do the math), and some kicky new nailpolish.

Well there blows the grocery budget for this month. When all was said and done I had spent the upside of $140 and earned about 5 separate trips up my apartment stairs with my loot (Plus side: no need for the gym today!)

I did happen to notice a lot more generic store labels in my purchases this time around which is a major turn around from when I wasn't quite so strapped for cash. I used to be a major food snob. Old way of thinking: "But brand names are tried and true! I know I'll like them!" New way of thinking: "Screw it and give me the cheapie oatmeal!" I've learned the taste is not that different (oftentimes tastes the same!) and I save money! Little lessons learned are still a lesson learned right?! Small steps, my friend. Small steps.

Somehow these still managed to hop into my car when I wasn't looking though...

What can you do? When it's right it's right no?

Hola!

After much poking and prodding and self doubt and some time in the fetal position. I've decided to just start putting my ideas of simple things I can do to help me help myself down on paper. It then occurred to me, who uses paper anymore? Next best solution: blog it of course!

I keep telling myself I'm going to read more, or Imma gonna cook more or I'm going to be awesome with money and become the next Warren Buffett. Does it ever really happen?...no, not really. I'm going to make this blog my accountability for actually doing what I say I'm going to do now! If this blog is going to live a long happy life, I need to give it fodder otherwise it will die sad and alone. That is unacceptable. So we'll see how this goes. I'm welcome to suggestion so throw 'em if you got 'em.

After that little spiel...last night I was craving something sweet. This almost never happens so when it's right it's right no? Problem: It's late in the week and my pantry is bare. I had been trying to save money by living off of tuna fish and cheez-itz (but that is a story for another time) so I'm due up to shop this weekend. I find no sweet things in my cupboards except granulated sugar which (trust me) not worth the sweet fix...Oh but wait, I also see some lonely little tortillas in my fridge. I think that maybe with the proper TLC they could become...(say it together)...awesome!

So I decide to try for a poor man's sopaipilla (even though the actual recipe is really nothing like a true sopaipilla, but just go with it okay?). I took those oddball little tortillas and gave them a nice sponge bath in margarine. Spread a little sugar and cinnamon and even a dash of nutmeg on top to make them fall-ey and baked until crispy and browned.

They were pretty darn tasty, and (even with tortillas, butter, and sugar) were probably less calories than other desserts...say....cheesecake or the fried decliciousness that is an actual sopaipilla.

Yes, I DID take a bite out of one before I took this picture. So?

Viva la Mexico and my poor version of it!